The Danny Morris Band
The Danny Morris Band
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The Danny Morris Band
  L.J. Margolis - Palm Beach Post - 12/8/04
Band Has Crowd Twisting the Night Away

    I like to listen to mood music while writing this column. Right now it's a CD titled The Golden Prize which I bought from the Danny Morris Band who were playing a gig at the Tiki Bar in Clewiston on a recent Friday night. The tune at the moment is "Twistin' Kristin", a Morris original to which I darn near died dancing that Friday night.

    My 80-something-year-young dance partner, dubbed Sooner by the regulars, claimed that he was almost unable to keep up with me. Heck, I was almost unable to keep up with me. I was too young to dance the twist when it was first popular (yes, I was!), but my mama, younger then than I am now, demonstrated the move to kid I was. "You pretend you're drying your back with a towel," she explained. If I was too young then, I'm too old to dance the twist now, but if I'd had a real towel, my back would have been thoroughly and well dried Friday!

    The band played about an equal mix of originals and cover tunes, instrumentals and vocals. I'm no Charles Passey-caliber music critic, but I know what I like and I really like the Danny Morris Band. They're high energy, their music is well-composed, their technique is superb and they're tight, especially on those instrumentals, which is impressive because, although Morris originally started the band in 1995 in Virginia, the current trio has played together less than a year.

    Morris covers lead guitar and vocals, while Mike Tolnay takes bass guitar and background vocals and Chris Waldron tears up the drums.

    Morris describes the band's music as California surf rock and roll. A 34-year-old woman sitting next to me and listening to "Ruby, Ruby" described the sound as southern rock. Their instrumental rendition of "Walkin' After Midnight" put me in mind of rock-a-billy.

    Morris seems much too young to have lived through first-run surfer rock, and has obviously been well-influenced by a variety of styles. "I always liked the 50s and 60s guitar sound," he said. It all adds up to good, fun dancin' music.

    The Danny Morris Band will be back at the Tiki Bar on Friday evening, January 7, 2005. That may seem a long time from now, but put it on your calendar and meet me at the Tiki.

    The Tiki Bar at Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina is located at 920 E. Del Monte Avenue in Clewiston, and features live music every weekend. The Danny Morris Band went on stage around 8 p.m. and I left, plumb wore out, about 10 when it was really getting going good.

    Call the marina at 863-983- 3151. For information on the Danny Morris Band, visit dannymorrisband.com.

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